Forest Landscape Restoration Contributes to the Conservation of Primates in the Gishwati-Mukura Landscape, Rwanda

Tuyisingize, Deogratias; Eckardt, Winnie; Caillaud, Damien; Ngabikwiye, M.; Kaplin, Beth A.

doi:10.1007/s10764-022-00303-0

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…It is classified as Endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) due to its small population size and decreasing remaining habitat (Butynski & de Jong, 2020). In the Virunga massif, golden monkeys range primarily in the bamboo forest where fruit trees are rare (Aveling, 1984; Tuyisingize et al, 2021; Tuyisingize, 2017; Twinomugisha et al, 2007); bamboo accounts for the majority of their diet (Tuyisingize, 2016; Twinomugisha et al, 2007), while fruits represent a small component compared to other Cercopithecus mitis populations (Chapman & Cords, Gautier‐Hion, et al, 2002). The Gishwati population ranges in tropical montane forest dominated by fruiting trees and a few bamboo stands (Tuyisingize et al, 2021; Twinomugisha & Chapman, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in Rwanda

Tuyisingize

Eckardt

Caillaud

et al. 2021

American J Primatol

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Many primates exhibit behavioral flexibility which allows them to adapt to environmental change and different habitat types. The golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) is a little-studied endangered primate subspecies endemic to the Virunga massif and the Gishwati forest in central Africa. In the Virunga massif, golden monkeys are mainly found in the bamboo forest, while in the Gishwati forest they live in mixed tropical montane forest. Here we describe and compare the diet of golden monkeys in both fragments. Over 24 consecutive months from January 2017 we used scan sampling to record feeding and ranging behavior of two Virunga groups and one Gishwati group totaling ca. 240 individuals. We also examined the phenology of bamboo and fruit trees, key seasonal food plant species for the monkeys. Golden monkeys fed on more than 100 plant species. The Virunga groups were mostly folivorous (between 72.8% and 87.16% of the diet) and fed mostly on young bamboo leaves and bamboo shoots, while 48.69% of the diet of the Gishwati group consisted of fruit from 22 different tree and shrub species. Bamboo shoots and fruit are seasonally available foods and were consumed regularly throughout the period when they were available. Despite being the smallest of the three study groups, the Gishwati group had a larger home range area (150.07 ha) compared to both Virunga groups (25.24 and 91.3 ha), likely driven by the differences in availability and distribution of fruit and bamboo in the habitats. Like other blue monkey subspecies, golden monkeys appear to have a flexible dietary strategy enabling them to adjust diet and ranging behavior to local habitats and available food resources.Additional studies and continuing conservation efforts are needed to better understand how variation in feeding and ranging ecology affects reproduction, population growth, and carrying capacity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in Rwanda

Tuyisingize

Eckardt

Caillaud

et al. 2021

American J Primatol

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“…This reality has led to a rethinking of the potential conservation value of anthropogenic landscapes, thereby expanding the range of forests considered to be valuable for wildlife (Chazdon et al, 2009; Meijaard et al, 2010; Yabsley et al, 2021; Nurvianto et al, 2022). It has also bolstered efforts to assess the habitat that anthropogenically modified forests provide and to evaluate how to make them more hospitable for wildlife moving forward (Sodhi et al, 2010; Galán-Acedo et al, 2019; Tuyisingize et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential conservation value of anthropogenically modified habitat for the Endangered moor macaque Macaca maura in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Riley

Albani

Zak

et al. 2023

Oryx

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Human-induced land-use change has resulted in substantial loss and degradation of habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife. The moor macaque Macaca maura, an Endangered primate endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been observed in a wide array of habitats, including heavily modified areas, but little is known about the quality of these habitats. Here we compared the habitat quality of two areas occupied by moor macaque populations: a previously human-modified karst forest now located within a national park and a heavily modified forest located in an unprotected area. We assessed habitat quality by measuring specific indicators of potential food availability derived from vegetation data and quantified the nutritional environment based on macronutrient analysis of fruit samples collected at the two sites. Although the species richness, diversity and overall stem density of macaque food trees were greater in the protected area forest, total basal area and mean diameter at breast height were greater in the heavily modified forest. Mean metabolizable energy concentrations of fruits eaten by macaques were similar between forests, as were the proportions of protein, lipids and total non-structural carbohydrates. These results provide further support for the notion that heavily modified habitats should not be overlooked for their potential conservation value. To further augment their value, conservation efforts should focus on forest restoration, specifically the planting of fast-growing species that are utilized by both wildlife and people.

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Forest Landscape Restoration Contributes to the Conservation of Primates in the Gishwati-Mukura Landscape, Rwanda

Cited by 2 publications

References 63 publications

High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in Rwanda

High flexibility in diet and ranging patterns in two golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) populations in Rwanda

The potential conservation value of anthropogenically modified habitat for the Endangered moor macaque Macaca maura in Sulawesi, Indonesia

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